Wis. organization asks League City to stop prayer

Mayor says council has no plans to change procedures

LEAGUE CITY - League City's city council has begun its meetings with a prayer for the past 52 years, but a Wisconsin based non-profit organization says it's time to stop.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which refers to itself as a non-atheist organization, sent a letter to the council and League City's mayor asking them to stop the practice.

The letter, obtained by Local 2 reads, "Prayer at government meetings is unnecessary, inappropriate, and divisive. Council members are free to pray privately or to worship on their own time in their own way. They do not need to worship on taxpayers' time."

The foundation is the same group that tried last fall to stop cheerleaders from Kountze High School from writing Bible verses on banners at football games.

That case is still working through the legal system after a district judge overturned a decision to allow the cheerleaders to continue writing the verses.

Mayor Tim Paulissen said the council has no plans to change its procedures.

"The city has been doing this since 1952. Unless a judge or a higher authority tells me to stop, we are not going to change our plans," said Paulissen.

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